NCDP Clips for Wednesday, August 19, 2015

LEGISLATURE 2015

NC lawmakers, McCrory agree on spending $21.74B this year (AP) — North Carolina’s budget, already seven weeks late, plodded closer to completion withTuesday’s announcement that Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and the legislature’s GOP leaders have agreed on how much will be spent this year.

Deal on $21.735 billion state budget target could sacrifice worker raises (Raleigh News & Observer) — The $21.735 billion budget target that House and Senate leaders agreed to on Tuesday could mean less money for state employee raises and other spending items. The target represents a 3.1 percent increase in spending over the previous fiscal year – close to the 2.7 percent increase sought by the Senate and Gov. Pat McCrory. The House wanted a 5 percent increase.

17 Point Plan to Help Rural N.C. Communities (Main Street Dems) — Urban and suburban counties have long been supportive of balanced growth and have traditionally supported efforts to make sure we have “one North Carolina, where all citizens can enjoy the bounty of this wonderful state”. That means we must have some programs that are specifically designed for rural areas. One size does not fit all. Here’s a 17 Point Plan to Help Rural NC succeed in today’s economy.

Governor signs terrorism bill (Raleigh News & Observer) — The governor on Tuesday signed into law a bill that expands where members of the National Guard can carry concealed weapons, and creates a way for people to sue if they are injured or lose property in a terrorist attack.

House panel OKs remedial plan for high school seniors (WRAL-TV) — The North Carolina Community College System would design remedial education courses for high school seniors to ensure they meet necessary academic benchmarks before graduating, under legislation advancing in the House.

Attorneys want N.C. voter ID litigation resolved (AP) — (AP) — A judge kept North Carolina’s voter identification law out of last month’s federal trial scrutinizing other election changes by the legislature. Now attorneys who sued over the law and lawyers for the state want resolution on voter ID. Lawyers this week filed memos with U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder about the photo ID requirement for in-person ballots in 2016. The legislature eased the mandate in June to allow more people to vote without qualifying IDs. The state’s attorneys say voter ID portions of the lawsuits should be dismissed because of the updated law and an appeals court ruling involving Texas’ law. But the plaintiffs say voter ID is still an undue voting burden and would lead to discrimination. They plan to pitch a proposed settlement agreement to the state soon.

Court documents: Legal challenge to NC voter ID could be settled (Winston-Salem Journal) — North Carolina’s voter ID law may not go to trial after all, according to court documents filed Monday. The recent federal trial on North Carolina’s Voter Information Verification Act that ended about two weeks ago did not deal with the state’s photo ID requirement that goes into effect in 2016. It only dealt with other provisions of the law, which reduced the early voting period, eliminated same-day voter registration, prohibited county election officials from counting ballots cast in the wrong precinct but correct county, and abolished preregistration for 16- and 17-year-olds.

McCrory on Income Inequality: Ignorance or Worse (Huffington Post) — Estelle Sommeiller and Mark Price, of the Economic Policy Institute, recently found that, since the dawn of the economic recovery six years ago, the average income of the top 1 percent of North Carolinians, or those who earn more than $311,000 annually, has increased by 22.7 percent, whereas that of the bottom 99 percent has decreased by 1.8 percent.

In Quiet Woods, a Clamorous Gun Debate (New York Times) — A fight is playing out in national forests from North Carolina to the Pacific Northwest between backpackers seeking solitude and gun owners out for target shooting.

Deadline approaching on major conservation fund (Asheville Citizen-Times) — A popular 50-year-old conservation program that has spent about $216 million to preserve natural resources in North Carolina will shut down Sept. 30 unless Congress renews it. The Land and Water Conservation Fund, which uses offshore oil and gas drilling royalties to buy and protect land for public use, has strong bipartisan support. Its expiration is one of many deadlines facing Congress at the end of the fiscal year.

Proposed Raleigh Airbnb rules hit snag (AP) — The city of Raleigh’s effort to regulate short-term home rental programs such as Airbnb have hit a snag after Raleigh staff said proposed rules could open the door for more boarding houses.

Hoke wreck victim was former Robeson County commissioner (Fayetteville Observer) — One of three people killed in a head-on crash in Hoke County on Monday was a former Robeson County commissioner and Robeson Community College trustee. Former Robeson County commissioner and long-time community college trustee Tommy Wellington, 84, of the 5500 block of Fayetteville Road in Lumberton, died of injuries at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center shortly after the accident on N.C. 211, the Highway Patrol said.

State budget delay creates classroom uncertainties (Outer Banks Sentinel) — With school doors set to open in less than a week, the budget wrangling in Raleigh has left Dare County officials scrambling to cope with a number of possible scenarios – from reduced class sizes to layoffs of classroom teacher assistants. Also unclear is what the schools will need to pay teachers in state-mandated raises, an issue that triggered tough negotiations between the board of education and board of commissioners.

Poll Finds Most Back Healthy School Meals (New York Times) — According to the poll, released by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 86 percent of Americans support the standards required by a 2010 law, including providing more fruits and vegetables.

House panel OKs remedial plan for high school seniors (WRAL-TV) — The North Carolina Community College System would design remedial education courses for high school seniors to ensure they meet necessary academic benchmarks before graduating, under legislation advancing in the House.

THE SPILL

DENR moves to stop another lawsuit against Duke (Winston-Salem Journal) — State environmental regulators on Tuesday moved to put a hold on a lawsuit that aims to force Duke Energy to stop coal ash ponds at its 14 power plants statewide from violating clean-water laws. The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, or DENR, asked a state court to stay legal action against Duke Energy to let a state law — passed a year after the legal action was started — run its course.

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Board imposes moratorium on oil and gas development (Sanford Herald) — The Chatham County Board of Commissioners adopted an ordinance Monday night imposing a two-year moratorium on county approvals for oil and gas development, including hydraulic fracking.

U.S. Rep. McHenry dodges a stand on Duke Energy’s transmission lines (Tryon Daily Bulletin) — Seeing that the audience strongly opposed Duke Energy’s most recent endeavor on power transmission lines, Republican U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry avoided directly addressing the issue by asking the audience if they supported solar energy and natural gas. Agreement from the crowd rang out. The following question regarding nuclear energy drew room-wide disagreement. “At least admit reality,” said McHenry. “More energy is not a bad thing. … “When I look at issues like this and read about them in the newspaper I think certainly this will be resolved at the state level and local level,” said McHenry. “This isn’t a federal issue.”

Opponents: Proposed pipeline through Cumberland County is dangerous (Fayetteville Observer) – Opponents said Tuesday the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline needs to be stopped because it’s too potentially dangerous. Standing in front of Eastover-Central Elementary School, they said it would be within about a mile of the pipeline’s path and thus could be at risk if there were an explosion or a leak. “We believe that is just too close for our precious children,” said Cary Rodgers of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League. Rodgers is helping organize Cumberland County Caring Voices, a local opposition group.

New Video Supports Repower Our Schools Initiative In NC (EdNC) — A new video is out in support of the Repower Our Schools initiative in North Carolina to transition Charlotte and Durham schools to 100 percent renewable electricity. As families across the country gear up for the start of school, kids in North Carolina are imagining a brighter future for their schools. By transitioning school systems to run on 100 percent renewable electricity, schools can reinvest in the classroom and provide hands on experience with 21st century technology, the press release says.

Deadline approaching on major conservation fund (Asheville Citizen-Times) — A popular 50-year-old conservation program that has spent about $216 million to preserve natural resources in North Carolina will shut down Sept. 30 unless Congress renews it. The Land and Water Conservation Fund, which uses offshore oil and gas drilling royalties to buy and protect land for public use, has strong bipartisan support. Its expiration is one of many deadlines facing Congress at the end of the fiscal year.

Solar cell efficiency could double with novel ‘green’ antenna (Solar Daily) The use of solar energy in the U.S. is growing, but panels on rooftops are still a rare sight. They cost thousands of dollars, and homeowners don’t recoup costs for years even in the sunniest or best-subsidized locales. But scientists may have a solution. They report today the development of a unique, “green” antenna that could potentially double the efficiencies of certain kinds of solar cells and make them more affordable.

Time’s Up for Decision on Hog Farms (Coastal Review) — The deadline has arrived for the EPA to address allegations by environmental groups that hog farms in North Carolina put the health of minorities at risk.